No Whales in Captivity

Cetacean Deaths at the Vancouver Aquarium

At a time when public opinion is against the capture and imprisonment of wildlife in aquariums, zoos and circuses, the Vancouver Aquarium insists to perpetuate the international marine mammal slave trade. They even deal with infamous pro-whaling countries such as Japan, that carry out bloody dolphin drives where most animals are killed but some are captured for public display.

In captivity, whales and dolphins suffer physically and psychological because their social and behaviour cannot be provided for in an aquarium tank. These animals die prematurely - in the wild orcas can live over 90 years, belugas 35 years and other dolphin species 45 years. In 50 years, the Vancouver Aquarium has an abysmal record in regards to whale and dolphin breeding program. Three orca babies, two beluga babies, one narwhal and one dolphin baby have died.

The following is a list of known cetacean deaths at the Vancouver Aquarium (miscarriages are not reported to the media):

1. "Moby Doll", who was actually a male orca, was harpooned to be killed as a model for a sculpture in 1964. Since he didn't die, he was towed to Vancouver by the harpoon rope, put on display and survived only 86 days.

2. Orca "Natsidalia" was captured in 1968 and died seven months later of heart failure.

3. The dolphin "Splasher" died of internal injuries in 1969 in less than two years in captivity

4. A baby narwhal was captured in 1968 and shot due to severe rope cuts from
the capture.

5-10. Six narwhals were captured in 1970 and died within four months of
bacterial infections and starvation.

11. Beluga "Bella" died in 1976 after 8.7 years in captivity.

12. Baby beluga "Tuaq" born to "Kavna" (pregnant when captured) died in 1977 of malnutrition/bacterial infection at four months old.

13. Orca "Skana" was captured in 1967 and died in 1980 of a general mycotic infection in less than 14 years in captivity.

14. Beluga "Lugosi" died from severe tissue trauma/leak in lung in 1980 in less than 13 years in captivity.

15. Dolphin "Arion" was captured in 1983 from Burrard Inlet (date of death not known).

16. Beluga "Sanaq" captured in 1976 died from shock following an antibiotic injection in 1985.

17. Beluga "Churchill" was the fifth beluga to die in Stanley Park. He died of a massive bacterial infection in 1989 after 4 years of captivity.
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18. Orca "Bjossa" had an unnamed first baby who died of starvation at 22 days old in 1988.

19. Orca "Hyak II" ("Hyak I" was released for unknown reasons) was captured in 1968 and died in 1991 after 22 years in captivity.

20. Orca "Bjossa" had a second baby "K'yosha" on September 30, 1991, who died alone a horrific, painful death caused by a brain infection bumping against the sides of the tank 97 days after being born.
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21. Orca "Bjossa" had a third baby born March 1995 who blead to death within 8 minutes after his umbilical cord ruptured. The decaying body was left in the bottom of the tank for 5 days for the paying public to flock to the aquarium to see the dead baby whale..

22. Orca "Finna" died in October 1997 at only 21 years old.

23. Orca "Bjossa" was very sick so she was shipped to die at Sea World-San Diego in April 2001 because the Vancouver Aquarium wanted to go ahead and renovate her show tank before the busy summer season, where they now keep dolphins purchased from the infamous and bloody dolphin drives in Japan. Bjossa was the last orca to suffer at the Vancouver Aquarium. She died alone in a reserve tank in San Diego in October 2001, at only 25 years young.

24. Dolphin "Whitewings" died in 2002 from respiratory failure - after the fourth time a staff's arm was inserted down the dolphin's throat to remove pool debris from her stomach.

25. Beluga "Tuvaq" born to mother "Aurora" on July 20, 2002, died unexpectantly at three years old on July 17, 2005. The aquarium vet claims he doesn't know why.

26. Dolphin "Hana", purchased from the Enoshida Aquarium in Japan, which collects dolphins from the bloody dolphin drive. Hana was transported to the Vancouver Aquarium already pregnant on October 16, 2005. It took aquarium staff 6 months to finally realize that Hana was pregnant and then she gave birth to stillborn baby on June 7, 2006.

As of June 2006 at least 9 orcas, 7 narwhals, 6 Belugas, and 3 Pacific, white-sided dolphins have died.

Will you help the whales today?
YES